Shades Mountain Drive-In

1024 Montgomery Highway,

Birmingham,
AL35201

Like millions of other children of that era I have memories of attending the drive in dressed in my pajamas with pillows, blankets, etc… filling the back seat of the family sedan, in our case a Chevy. This was the closest location of any of the Birmingham theatres to our house. Because of the small number of first run theatres in town it was not unusual for lower profile first run product to play here, although two of my more distinct memories concern seeing 10 Commandments and The Longest Day, both sub runs, at Shades Mt.

Shortly after we moved, this location was demolished and the Red Lobster that now sits in the parkingl lot of the shopping center marks the rough location of the screen and box office. Cobb moved down to the foot of the hill near where 31 crosses I-65 and built a single screen drive in there called the Thunderbird. This was a very fast growing area and that location did not last long before it also was torn down for another shopping center. Cobb opened a twin there that later became a draft house cinema and is now retail.